To recap the issues raised during this week’s conference call, here are the key media stories we discussed, and the messages we’re conveying.
If there is a subject you would like to see addressed on Wednesday, June 4, please email Mike Barry at michaelb@iii.org.
NOAA ISSUES ITS INITIAL OUTLOOK FOR 2014 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON AT NYC NEWS CONFERENCE
Media attending the Thursday, May 22 news conference included WNBC-TV, WCBS-TV, Fox, the Weather Channel, WCBS-AM,WNYC-FM as well as The Hartford Courant and USA Today (via phone). The NOAA forecast for 2014: eight to 13 storms, three to six of them will become hurricanes, and one or two of those will turn into major hurricanes (Category 3, or higher). It is being characterized as a “near normal, or below-normal” season, based on a typical year where the numbers are 12 storms, six hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.
I.I.I.’s MCHRISTIAN TAKES PART IN DISASTER SURVIVOR PANEL
Lynne McChristian will be participating on the “Disaster Survivor Panel” on Saturday, May 31 at the Tampa Bay Hurricane Expo. The purpose of the disaster panel is to present the challenges of preparing for a disaster.
I.I.I. ISSUES PRESS RELEASES ON PREPAREDNESS STRATEGIES FOR HURRICANE SEASON
A joint release from the I.I.I. and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety was issued on Thursday, May 22; it provided recommendations for buying flood insurance, understanding hurricane deductibles, preparing an evacuation plan, inspecting roofs, installing sump pumps and other important preparedness information. The I.I.I. also issued a regional press release urging Florida residents to use the start of hurricane season as a date for family emergency preparedness. Both releases were translated into Spanish.
INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY ISSUES NEW RATINGS FOR FRONT CRASH PREVENTION SYSTEMS.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released new ratings for crash avoidance systems after they put a group of 24 cars and SUVs to the test; they were released on Thursday, May 29.
GOOGLE SHIFTS ITS STRATEGY ON DRIVERLESS CARS
The company is now focusing on the development of a car that will do away with all standard controls. A fleet of 100 experimental, low-speed, two-seat, electric-powered vehicles being built will not have steering wheels, gas pedals, brakes or gear shifts, according to this Wednesday, May 28 New York Times article.
REVENGE OF THE CLIMATE TORT
An editorial in this Wednesday, May 28 Wall Street Journal article (subscription required) notes that the Supreme Court is credited with having made a concentrated effort to limit the lawsuits filed against utilities by environmentalists who claim that their emissions are a public nuisance under common law, litigation based on the theory that courts should make the policy on global warming for the U.S.
STORIES IN THE WORKS
Bob Hartwig spoke with Lee Bowman, a National Correspondent with Scripps News for a story on disaster preparedness.
Bob Hartwig and Jeanne Salvatore spoke with Pryia Anand of MarketWatch on the topic of autonomous vehicles.
Bob Hartwig and Loretta Worters spoke with Wall Street Journal’s Leslie Scism and Anna Maria Andriotis for a lengthy story on disasters and insurance.
Jeanne Salvatore did a “check your coverage” story with Lisa Gibbs of Money, tied to hurricane season.
Mike Barry was interviewed by The Hartford Courant’s Matt Sturdevant discussing coverage issues and the frequency/severity of hurricanes over the past decade.
Loretta Worters spoke with Luciana Lopez of Reuters who is doing a story on how insurance companies protect themselves from cyber risk. Luciana would like to speak with insurers. You can contact her at: Luciana.F.Lopez@thomsonreuters.com.
Elianne González will be taping preparedness tips for Univision on Thursday, May 29, which will likely air on Saturday, May 31 or Sunday, June 1.
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT (Alba Rosario)
With the start of hurricane season fast approaching, last week NOAA issued their 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook. I.I.I.’s Mike Barry live tweeted updates from the conference which was well received in social. Also, many insurance companies have been tweeting/posting tips and strategies on getting ready for hurricane season. I.I.I. will also be posting tips, articles and videos on how to be prepared and stay safe throughout this hurricane season.
Thanks to some promotion during Memorial Day weekend, I.I.I.’s grill safety video was the most shared content in social last week.
Finally, ride sharing continues to make headlines. Recently, Uber announced that their drivers make $90k a year which led many people to take to social to air out their opinions, one of many being whether or not becoming an Uber driver would make for a good job. Forbes also posted an article explaining the economics behind these ride sharing apps.
CAPITOL HILL
Timing of TRIA legislation moving in the House and Senate. The House Financial Services Committee plans to release draft legislation and hold a markup in June on Terrorism Risk Insurance Act reauthorization legislation.
STATES
California
When It Comes To Wildfires, The Insurance Industry Is Behind The Curve, according to a Wednesday, May 28 Los Angeles Times (subscription required) op-ed, which blames the insurance industry for not doing enough to price homeowners insurance policies more closely to the high fire risk of the home’s location.
Ideologies Clash In Race For California Insurance Commissioner, according to this Wednesday, May 28, Los Angeles Times (subscription required) article, which details the difference between the two main candidates for Insurance Commissioner.
Florida
Since the massive flooding in April that inundated the Pensacola, Florida, area, more than $28 million in federal disaster aid has been approved for uninsured victims, according to this Sunday, May 25 article in the Pensacola New Journal.
Alabama
Hurricane preparedness officials still worry people could be lulled into a false sense of safety because of better technology and improved forecasts. But recent storms, such as 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, have proved that the days of high death tolls are not over, even in the United States, according to this Tuesday, May 27 article in the Alabama Press-Register.
Arkansas
The office of Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe says $68.7 million in damage claims have been filed for individual and commercial entities in Faulkner, Pulaski, Randolph and White Counties following the April 27 tornadoes. Beebe is making $500,000 available to pay for debris removal in Pulaski County, according to this Tuesday, May 27, story by the Associated Press.
Louisiana
A bill that would require homeowners’ insurance firms to disclose their annual losses and premiums by ZIP code won final legislative approval Thursday, May22 , according to a Friday, May 23 Baton Rouge Advocate article. The proposal is House Bill 909 by state Rep. Chris Leopold, R-Belle Chasse.
Senators on the labor committee have narrowly sided with New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson over the NFL players in a dispute over how workers compensation claims for professional athletes should be calculated, according to this May 22 Kansas City Business article
Oklahoma
A year and three days after seven children were killed when a tornado hit Plaza Towers Elementary in Moore, the Oklahoma Senate ended its session Friday with a rejection of a proposal for school storm shelters, according to this Friday, May 23, Oklahoman article.
MEDIA MATTERS
The new Money.com website will be launched on June 1—it replaces CNNMoney which is being spun off with Time/Warner.
Former Los Angeles Daily News Reporter Troy Anderson is now writing the “Your Money” section of Consumers Digest. He also writes for Reuters, Bankrate, NBIZ Magazine and many other outlets. He can be reached at 949-887-1511; troyanderson.writer@gmail.com; https://twitter.com/TroyAndersonLA.
WLNY’s morning show “Live from the Couch” is dead, according to this Friday, May 23 story in the New York Daily News. The two-hour show launched in July 2012 and featured hosts Carolina Bermudez and WCBS/Ch.2 meteorologist, John Elliott. The show, which suffered from low ratings, languished in a competitive timeslot against powerhouses like “Good Morning America,” “Today” and local shows like Fox 5’s “Good Day New York” and WPIX’s “PIX Morning News.” Starting Saturday, the two-hour timeslot will be filled with programming from around the channel’s schedule, including syndicated shows like “Ok! TV,” “The Better” and “The Insider.”
Beginning in August, Brooke Baldwin and Carol Costello will anchor their respective hours of “CNN Newsroom” from NYC instead of Atlanta, Media Bistro reported on Thursday, May 23. Costello anchors “Newsroom” from 9-11am and Baldwin helms the 2-4pm hours. The shift means all of CNN’s weekday programs will be anchored from New York or D.C.
The Publicity Club of New York is holding the luncheon “The New Media Influencers” on Thursday, June 19 from 12-2:00 p.m., featuring Jake Horowitz, founder, editor-in-chief of PolicyMic; Zach Seward, senior editor, Quartz; Peter Kafka, senior editor, Media, Re/code; Andrew Golis, general manager, TheWire, and Melissa Bell, co-founder, Vox. The Publicity Club event will be held at Three West 51st Street. For more info, RSVP http://www.publicityclub.org/invite.html.
The I.I.I. is cited regularly in the media as an authoritative source of insurance information. To access the current I.I.I. press clips, click here
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